


bear against horse

by Hevheia



Series: The Old Guard Duolingo Prompts [18]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Crack, Joe and Nicky just being idiots, M/M, blatant misuse of the symbolic meaning of animals in fables, seducing your husband is a valid tactic to distract him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29925753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hevheia/pseuds/Hevheia
Summary: The Battle for the Brooch has been going on for two centuries.It started when Nicolò found out Yusuf had taken his brooch after killing him one time. It was much later, when they were already travelling together to figure out what the hell was wrong with them, that he saw it shining on Yusuf’s cloak. Of course, Nicolò was all but pleased that his last remaining possession of some value - a family heirloom no less!- had fallen into the hands of the man who’d killed him more times than was considered polite. So naturally, he stole it back.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: The Old Guard Duolingo Prompts [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952467
Comments: 12
Kudos: 71





	bear against horse

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the one year streak celebration! 
> 
> Prompt: Bear against horse (Bär gegen Pferd)

The Battle for the Brooch has been going on for two centuries. 

It started when Nicolò found out Yusuf had taken his brooch after killing him one time. It was much later, when they were already travelling together to figure out what the hell was wrong with them, that he saw it shining on Yusuf’s cloak. Of course, Nicolò was all but pleased that his last remaining possession of some value - a family heirloom no less!- had fallen into the hands of the man who’d killed him more times than was considered polite. So naturally, he stole it back.

Though was it still ‘stealing’ when the brooch was his in the first place?

Yusuf found out and devised a plan to get it back. The brooch has been stolen and restolen ever since. 

It didn’t take long for it to become a game. Nicolò even believes it accelerated the process of leaving their animosity for each other behind. For all he knows, if it wasn’t for the brooch, they would still be pining for each other like the lovestruck fools they had been, incapable to admit they didn’t actually hate the other.

Sometimes, the Battle dies down for a while, only to break loose again a while later, mostly during downtime. 

Now, while they are travelling North with Andromache and Quynh, Nicolò is intent on reclaiming yet again what is rightfully his. 

Yusuf is already onto him unfortunately and doesn’t leave him out of his sight for one second. He is staring at Nicolò from across the table, arms crossed across his chest. Nicolò patiently continues sewing the holes - courtesy of some ambushers last week - in one of Yusuf’s shirts. He deliberately draws out his movements, very much aware of Yusuf’s eyes following them.

“I am merely sewing, amore,” he says. “I am not going to do anything.”

Yusuf huffs. “Forgive me that I do not believe you, ya hayati.”

Nicolò can’t suppress his smile. “Bear against horse.”

“What?”

“The bear against horse principle.” He looks up at Yusuf and puts the shirt on the table. “In fables, the bear signifies greed,” - he stands up from his chair, slowly making his way to Yusuf - “hoarding, being insatiable. And to get what he wants, the bear relies on brute force, not taking the consequences into account.”

He puts his hands on the armrests of Yusuf’s chair, closing in on him. He does not fail to notice the slight hitch in Yusuf’s breath, the way he shifts ever so slightly in his seat.

“The horse on the other hand,” he continues, lowering his voice, “is hard-working, loyal. Devoted. The horse knows the value of hard work and knows the best results don’t come from hastened decisions. He is patient. So very patient.” 

He draws out the last three words, his eyes roaming over Yusuf’s face. To Yusuf’s credit, he does a good job of pretending to be completely unaffected by Nicolò’s closeness. But after two hundred years, Nicolò knows his Yusuf all too well.

“Sounds a lot like horse propaganda,” Yusuf remarks, voice slightly higher than usual. “Did Andy tell you this?”

Nicolò merely smiles, casting his eyes down the way he knows drives Yusuf crazy. He can see Yusuf’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallows.

“And I suppose you think I consider you to be the bear whereas you are actually the horse,” Yusuf continues. “But that is where you are wrong, my love. I think you are a fox. For I know that you are trying to distract me, to make me think of other” - his eyes stray to Nicolò’s slightly parted lips - “more pleasurable things so you can take advantage of my inattentiveness.” 

He fixes his dark eyes on Nicolò’s again, filled with determination. Nicolò’s heart beats so loud he thinks Yusuf might hear it. 

From the corner of his eye, Nicolò notices a figure slipping noiselessly into the room behind Yusuf.

“I regret informing you that you won’t succeed,” Yusuf says. “I shall not let you distract me.”

Nicolò grins. “Oh, but you already did, my love.”

He holds out one of his hands, not taking his eyes off of Yusuf. A small metal object is laid in his palm, its shape intimately familiar. The brooch.

First, Yusuf’s eyes grow wide, then his mouth opens and closes a couple of times. He looks up from the brooch to Andromache, who is standing next to Nicolò. She shrugs at him with an amused grin on her face.

“That’s cheating, Nico!” Yusuf exclaims, staring at Nicolò now with betrayal written all over his face.

Nicolò chuckles and presses a kiss to Yusuf’s indignant lips. “No, habibi,” he says, “you only bet on the wrong horse.”


End file.
